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Berry to leave OPM for Interior?

John Berry

Is John Berry, the head of the Office of Personnel Management, looking at the Interior Department as his next gig? Possibly.

The rumor isn't new. The Washington Post reported last September on the possibility of Berry as "a leading contender" for the role as cabinet secretary at Interior. Then on Jan. 16, The Post’s Lisa Rein wrote Berry is the likely replacement for Ken Salazar, who is resigning in March.

As the government’s chief people person, Berry is tasked with recruiting, hiring and setting benefits policies for nearly 2 million federal civilian workers. He was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. Berry himself has kept mum about a possible move from OPM. Asked by Federal Times whether he was planning on taking the reins at Interior, Berry replied: "No comment. At this point, I stand ready to serve the president in any capacity he desires."

A transition to Interior would be no stretch for Berry. He previously served as director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Zoo, where a lion cub was named after him.